The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey have agreed to expand cooperation in the railway sector, with plans to jointly extend the Khaf–Herat railway line to the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif, the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Works said Friday.
According to the ministry, the agreement was reached during
Deputy Minister of Railways Mohammad Ishaq Sahebzada’s visit to Turkey, where
he met with Iranian and Turkish officials on the sidelines of the 36th Regional
Meeting of the International Railway Union.
Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas said
representatives from the three countries emphasized the importance of
connecting their railway networks and agreed to launch the project using joint
financial, technical, and human resources.
The ministry said the project is a vital component of a
broader regional transport corridor linking the Middle East, Europe, and East
Asia, offering a shorter and more efficient route for commercial goods.
Turkish officials reportedly expressed interest in
connecting their country’s railway system, through Iran, to China via
Afghanistan, underscoring Afghanistan’s potential role as a transit hub under
the new plan.
The three countries signed a joint cooperation protocol at
the end of the meeting, formalizing their commitment to advancing regional
railway integration, according to the Taliban ministry’s statement.
